Electrically heated lunch box



June 1950 TURNIPSEED ELECTRICALLY HEATED LUNCH BOX 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed Feb. 5, 1949 VE N TURN/PS E E 0,

IN EN TOR. HUEBNER, BEEHL ER, WORREL,

HERZ/G 8 CALDWELL,

By ATTORNEYS.

June 27, 1950 l. TURNIPSEED ELECTRICALLY HEATED LUNCH BOX Filed Feb. 5, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IVEN TURN/P5560, l l I INVENTOR.

- HUEBNEMBEEHLERWORREL,

HERZ/G a! CALDWELL,

A TTORNEVS.

er 1? $444M Eatented June 27, 1950 vUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,513,218 ELECTRICALLY HEATED LUNCH BOX Iven Turnipseed, Glendale, Calif. Application February 5, 1949, Serial No. 74,844 2 Claims. (Cl. 2'1-9-35-) boxes for reasons of economy and convenience.

Such lunch boxes as have been heretofore available, of necessity, require the preparation of cold lunches, no provision being madeiother than a Thermos jug for anything warm during the ineaL.

t is an object of my invention to provide a lunch box which can be electrically connected to any standard convenience outlet and which will in a very brief time heat the food as desired.

Usually it is desirable from the standpoint of enjoyment that the meal contain both sandwiches and/or fresh fruit. Most sandwiches and substantially all fresh fruit would be rendered unpalatable or would be injured by the application of heat thereto.

It is, therefore, a further object of my invention to provide a lunch box which will heat only selected portions of the meal without afiecting the other parts.

Applicant is aware that a substantial number of electrically heated lunch boxes have been heretofore d signed and may be found in the prior art. However, so far as applicant is aware, all of the prior art heated lunch boxes must either be carried, in one position to avoid spilling liquids or must contain nothing but solid foods.

It is a further object of my invention to provide containers in cooperation with said lunch box for the transportation of liquid or semi-liquid foods, and which because of the cooperation of the various parts, remain substantially fluid-tight so that the necessity of carrying the box in one position is obviated, and in the event of accidental falling or tilting, liquid foods will not spill and contaminate the balance of the food in the box.

The lunch boxes known to the prior art, which make provisions for heating the food contained therein, are expensive and must be specially con structed to carry out the purposes of such prior art devices. In view of the fact that the number of lunch boxes now in use runs into large figures, it is desirable to produce an attachment which can be inserted into a standard lunch box to convert it to one permitting heating of the food. It is, therefore, a further object of my in- 55 vention to provide an attachment or insert for a standard lunch box which can be readily secured therein and which converts a standard lunch box into a box which will permit heating of certain pro-selected foods.

Other and further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from the drawings and the specifications relative thereto.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lunch box embodying the principles of my invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of vthe lunch box shown in Figure 1 having the top and front open.

Figure dis a front sectional view of a lunch box shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional Figure 3.

view taken on line 4-4 of Boa: construction The lunch box herein illustrated insofar as the box construction is concerned is more or less standard and comprises a top Id having a handle H with which. the box is carried, and walls I2 and [3, a back M, a front 15 and a bottom H5. The vfront I 5 is hingedly connected to the bottom 16 by means of any suitable hinge I1 and is formed with upturned end flanges l8 and I9.

As will be seen from Figure 4, the top H3 is hingedly connected to the back aa' i l by means ofanv suitable hinge 2B. A pair of l bers 125 and 22 is secured to the fro it the front panel l5 adapted to top H3 in closed position while carry It will be noted from Figures 1 and that the top H! is formed with a semi-circular portion 25 which is adapted to conform part to the external diameter of a Thermos jug (indicated in phantom) and is also provided with a resilient clip, designated generally adapted to hold the Thermosjug in the top of the conta ner.

The resilient clip 26 is hingedly connected to the top H) by means of hinge and :78 and is slightly longer than the v 1;; top I!) so that when positioned into closed position, as illustrated in Figure 4, will securely retain the Thermos jug in position The clip 26 is formed with a pair of legs and Si, each of which is provided with a reversely bent leg 32 and 33, respectively, -l'oined together by means of a section 34. The purpose of the section 34 will become apparent upon an explanation of the food heating unit.

Food heating unit The food heatin unit comprises essentially a horizontal plate 48 having a thermal insulator the top cure the 'spacing of the partition provide food-carrying chambers which will not be effected materially by heat being 4| disposed immediately adjacent the plate 40. An electrical resistance unit 42 having electrical insulating members 43 and 44 is disposed on top of the thermal insulator M and is held in position by means of a horizontal heat conducting plate 45. i

A bracket 46 is secured to the back wall M of the box and is adapted to secure the heating element in position in the box by means of machine screw 41.

A vertically disposed leg 58 is secured to the bottom It adjacent the front edge of the heating element and is adapted to support the heating element.

A vertical partition 5! is secured to the assembly at one end of the heating element and 4 to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. A lunch box comprising a housing having a hinged top, a hinged front, end walls, a back and a bottom, a horizontal partition parallel with the bottom and spaced therefrom having one end in abutment against one end wall and the other end spaced from the other end wall adapted to define a lower food-carrying compartment between said horizontal partition and said bottom, said horizontal partition defining a shelf adapted to "support food containers, said partition being defines in conjunction with the front l5, the side I2 and the back M, a heating chamber in which a plurality of containers, designated generally 52 and 53, are disposed in heat conducting relation with respect to the heating element.

A horizontal brace 54 is provided to strengthen the assembly and particularly the end wall 3.

The vertical spacing of the heating element above the base or bottom It and the horizontal I from the end wall it,

generated in the heating element, so that sandwiches and fresh fruit can be carried in the box'without danger of being affected by the heat.

Liquid food containers The food containers 52 and 53 (see Figure 3) are generally rectangular and are formed with lids 5'! and 58 having downwardly turned flanges 59 and 5c, respectively, and gasket members 6! and 62. The gasket members are adapted to cooperate with the upper lip of the containers 52 and 53 to effect a fluid-tight seal therebetween. The resilient clip 26 is so designed that when the top it is secured in closed position, by the crossmember 34 will resiliently engage the lids 5's and 58, thereby maintaining a fluid-tight seal with the containers 52 to prevent accidental spillage from any fiuids therein.

The box illustrated herein is formed with an aperture $3 in the end wall l2 having electrical connectors 65 and 65 adapted to be electrically connected with any standard convenient outlet by means of a plug 56 and electrical cord 61.

It is readily apparent that in the event my invention is used or embodied in an insert or attachment for a standard lunch box that an aperture 63 will not be essential, and that it would be practical to have the electrical connection elsewhere in the unit and connect the cord 6! to a standard convenient outlet by opening the lid l0.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in what I have conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of my invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is formed with an electrical resistance unit adapted to supply heat to said food containers and an insulating sheet adapted to protect the lower compartment from said electrically generated heat, said top being formed to accommodate a cylindrical Thermos jar, a resilient latching member hingedly connected to one side of said top to enclose a portion of the circumference of said Thermos jar and to retain the same in place, said latching member having one portion thereof adapted upon closing said top to resiliently engage the tops of said food containers to secure said tops in place and prevent spillage of liquid foods, and electrical connecting means in communication with the exterior of said box but recessed beyond the surface thereof.

2. A lunch box comprising a housing having a hinged top, a hinged front, end Walls, a back and a bottom, a horizontal partition parallel with the bottom and spaced therefrom having one end in abutment against one end wall and the other end spaced from the other end wall adapted to define a lower food-carrying compartment between said horizontal partition and said bottom, said horizontal partition defining a shelf adapted to support food containers, said partition being formed with an electrical resistance unit adapted to supply heat to said food containers and thermal insulating means adapted to protect the lower compartment from said electrically generated heat, and said top being formed to accommodate a cylindrical Thermos jar, a resilient latching member hingedly connected to one side of said top to enclose a portion of the circumference of said Thermos jar and to retain the same in place, said latching member having one portion thereof adapted upon closing said top to resiliently engage the tops of said food containers to secure said tops in place and prevent spillage of liquid foods.

IVEN TURNIPSEED.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in th file of this patent: 

